Mausoleum



Pl'il 25. 1933- w. A. MARTIN 1,905,036

' uAUsoLEUM Filed June 6;'1932 l l \,6 .9 /6 ,82 7 2 f2 v// /4J (/3 Q /5/ 7 Evry .2.' A. 27 25 v 20 ,gf 2

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25, 1933 WILLIAM A. MARTIN, 0I' TBENTON,

IAUBOLEUM Application led June 8, 1932. Serial No. 615,581.

My invention relates to mausoleums and more particularly to burial vaults formed of concrete or similar material for indefinitely preserving a corpse.

Although numerous vaults including a deady air chamber above the casket compart-s ment and covered with poured cement to .complete sealing of the casket and dead air chambers have been devised for this purpose, those of which I am aware do not embody provisions for positively preventing water, present in the poured cement, from passing downwardly into the casket chamber.

While the amount of water necessary to mix the final layer of sealing cement is not great,'.it is suiiicient to maintain the dead air and casket chambers in moistened condition throughout a relatively long period of time, particularly since it will be impossible for the water, after passing into these chambers, to 'escape therefrom.

It is the principal object of my invention, therefore, to so construct avault that the water in the sealing cement can readily escape to the exterior of the vault.

A further object of the invention is to provide separate sealed joints for the casket and dead air chambers to further insure against seepage of moisture into the casket compartment.

In accomplishing these and other of my invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the .preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central section through the vault illustrating the arrangement of the inside covers to produce independently sealed casket .and dead air chambers.

Fig. 2 is a cross section ofthe vault on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing particularly the manobjects l ner of sealin the joints between the inside covers and t e offset shoulders of the conf' tainers.

Referring more in detail to the drawing: 1 designates a container of reinforced 50 waterproof concrete, or the like, embedded in earth 2 and including a bottom or floor 3, side walls 4 and end walls 5. To maintain a casket in elevated condition above the iioor of the container, a pluralit of transverse bars 6 are preferably forme on the bottom wall 3.' l

The side and end walls are interiorly oifset at verticallyl spacedv upwardly facing lower an shoulders 7 and 8 spaced slig tly from Veach other and located somewhat above a horizontal median line of the container.

A lower' inside cover 9, preferablyl of arched formation and cast of reinforced concrete or similar material, is adapted to rest on the lower shoulder 7 to divide the lower portion of the container into a casket chamber 10 and the upper outer edge of the cover is beveled, as indicated at 11, so 7 that a suitable sealing compound 12 may be plastered into the peripheral cavit formed ythe beveled edge and surroun ing container wall for sealing the Acasket chamber.

An upper inside cover 13, also preferably cast of reinforced concrete, or the like, is ada ted to seat on the up er shoulder 8 to pro uce a dead air cham r 1 4 above the casket chamber, and is arched with .its side and end ed es, comprising diverging a ruptly downwardly toward the inner surface of the container to seat in sealing compound 17 preferably provided on the shoulder 8.

Handles or grips 18 may upper surfaces of both the lower and u per inside covers to facilitate handling o "the cover members.

Formed on the outer surface of the container adjacent its upper end is an vupward- 9,0

points to produce upper peripheral 0,0'

flanges 15 and 16 .8

be cast on the lyfacin'g peripheral seat or shoulder 19 for supporting an upper outside cover or top` depending'lange 21 is, of sufficient height to reserve a slight clearance 23 between the upper edge of the container and the outside cover for a purpose presently described.

The top is also slightly arched and cast y thereon near one end thereof is an elevation 24 having a gradually inclined face 25 provided with a recess 26 for receiving an inscription late 27, as in similar vault covers.

After p acing the lower and upper inside covers on the respective flanges 7 and 8, the portion of the container above the upper cover is filled with --a body of waterproof cement 28, or equivalent'sealing material, and it is for the purpose of permitting escape of the water used in mixing the cement and rising to the upper-surface of the body as the sealing material sets, that the cement is filled inthe container to a common level with the upper edge of the container and that the spaces 22 and. 23 are provided between the outside cover and container.

To further insure flow of this water over the upper edges of the container, the body of sealmg'material is raised along its longitudinallmedian line as indicated at 29 and is sloped downwardly from each side of the line toward the upper edge of the container.

Assuming vault members to be constructed as described, the order and procedure of assembly of the members` for interment of a cor se is as follows:

fter providing a suitable excavation for the container and lowering thecontainer therein, the casket is let down to rest on the cross members 6. The lowerinside cover is then seated on the lower-shoulder 7 'and sealing compound is plastered around its margin to revent penetration of moisture into the cas et chamber. A layer of sealing comppund is next positioned on the shoulder 8 and the upper inside cover is mounted thereon to produce a sealed dead air chamber between the lower and upper inside covers. c

The remaining portion of the container is then lled with waterproof cement to an elevation slightly above the upper edge of the container and the upper surface of the cement body is tapered downwardly toward each of the side walls of the container to direct water from the cement outwardly toward the container walls.

For the final step, the top is mounted over thevcontainer and'seated on the shoulder 19.

As the body of cement begins to set, lwater used in mixing the material will rise to the surface of the body, llo'w down the sloping top thereof and over the upper edge ofthe container' through the clearance 23 and Spacey 5 Sincethe outside cover is merely seated on i While I have shown the vault imbedded in the earth, it is obvious that it is equally as effective whenmounted on or above the earth.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.l A vault including a container having a vertical peripheral wall provided with an interior upwardly facing shoulder, an inside cover adaptedto rest on said shoulder, a layer of sealing cement on said cover having-fits entire uppersurfaceextending to a level for draining liquid rising in the cement over the upper edge of said wall, and a top for the container.

2. A vault including a container having a vertical peripheral wall provided with upwardly facing interior and exterior shoulders, an inside cover adapted to rest on the" interior shoulder, a layer of sealing cement on said cover extending throughout its area to a common level with the upper edge of said wall for draining liquid rising in the cement over said edge of the wall, and a top having a depending flange spaced from the container and adapted to rest on the exterior shoulder.

3. A vault including a container having a. vertical peripheral wall provided with an upwardly facing interior shoulder, an inside cover adapted to rest on said shoulder, a

layer of sealing cement on said cover having l a raised upper surface sloping downwardly to the upper edge of said wall and to a common level with said edge for draining liquid rising in lthe cement over said edge of the Wall, and a top for the container.

4. A vault including a container Vhaving a vertical peripheral wall provided on its interior surface with spaced upwardly facing shoulders, a lower inside `cover resting on the lower shoulder to form Aa casket chamber, sealing means between the cover and said shoulder, an upper inside on the .upper shoulder forming a vdead air chamber between said covers, a layer of sealing vcement on the upper cover having its entire u pper surface raised to a level for draining llquld rlsmg inthe cement over the upper edge of said wall, and atop for the con4 amer.

5. A vault including a container havin aterior surface with vertically spaced upwardly facing shoulders, a cover on the lower shoulder, a cover resting on the upper shoulder, means between the covers and their respective shoulders, a layer of sealing cement on the upper cover having its upper surface level with the upper edge of said wall, and a top for the-contamer.

6. A vault including a container having a peripheral wall provided with vertically spaced upwardly facing interior shoulders and with an exterior shoulder, a cover resting on the lower interior shoulder, a cover resting on the upper interior shoulder, saaling means between the covers and their respective shoulders, a layer of sealing cement on the upper cover having a raised upper surface slo downwardly. to the upper edge of said) $51 and to a common level with saidv edge for draining 1i uid rising in the cement over said edge ofthe wall, and a top having a depending flange spaced from the container and adapted to rest on said exterior shoulder for spacing the top above the upper edge of the container wall for peruilni'tting escape of said liquid from the va t.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

3o WILLIAM A. MARTIN. 

